Apr 13 2013:
Albert Einstein. He was obviously intelligent, but what distinguished him was his willingness and ability to accept new interpretations of the universe. He looked at what obviously was the universe and recognized how it could be interpreted in a new way and thus, understood on a deeper level.

Apr 15 2013:
Mother Theresa. I've always been a fan...Interesting to note, I asked my 4th graders this same question. In fact, we created an entire mock TEDx classroom symposium on the question, and they created TED talks & performances based on the lives of the following people: Eleanor Roosevelt, The Wright Brothers, Benjamin Netanyahu (prime minister of israel), Marion Anderson, Amelia Earhart, Ruby Bridges, Jackie Robinson, Kamehameha the Great, and Sacagawea...just to name a few. Their task was to identify the purpose of their speech (to entertain, inform, persuade, or all three), and base their talks on the "innovative" idea that each represented at that time in history. It was pretty cool so see what they came up with. My favorite was the lip sync of Marian Anderson as she sang the National Anthem at the inauguration of Presiden Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957!

Apr 13 2013:
Buddha...
Idea worthspreading : Self actualisation aka Enlightenment.
His commentary on the way we live today would be most interesting, too.
If you intend to invite him...!!! ;) :) suggest he speak English, please.

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Apr 14 2013:
I agree that Jesus would be a thrilling speaker - but for a different reason. He wanted to teach us that its possible to have a system of truth-based governance (the Kingdom he kept describing) that leads to a depth of knowledge that empowers us as human beings to overcome disease, hunger, war, and much of the ignorance we still have over how the earth and physical world we live in really works; and how as humans if we understood our own design, we could better influence physical outcomes. Now that would be one fascinating talk!!

I mean, what we are calling religion now were merely Ideas that captured the imagination of people and it spread like wildfire, changing the consciousness of man for thousands of years. Jesus, love others as you love yourself. That was new then. Jesus was the first humanitarian. Including the samaritans despite them being outsiders of the flock. Buddha, x=X (individual consciousness = collective consciousness). Moses, there is only one God (the forces we see around are a product of one universal phenomena)

Most scientists like Newton, and Johannes Kepler and even Darwin are quiet eccentric people who most likely don't look you in the eye. I would go for the luminaries!

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Apr 13 2013:
Absolutely disagree Darwin and Newton were stand up guys. The other guys are legends. Many scholars believe Pythagoras was actually a handful of differant people whos works are attributed to one name. I would say the same thing about Jesus Buddha and Moses. These figures embody a movement not a single human vessel.

Apr 14 2013:
@Chris - I agree that Jesus would be a thrilling speaker - but for a different reason. He wanted to teach us that its possible to have a system of truth-based governance (the Kingdom he kept describing) that leads to a depth of knowledge that empowers us as human beings to overcome disease, hunger, war, and much of the ignorance we still have over how the earth and physical world we live in really works; and how as humans if we understood our own design, we could better influence physical outcomes. Now that would be one fascinating talk!!

Apr 14 2013:
Who? Nelson Mandela. Why? To discuss his experience in using forgiveness and empathy to attain widespread influence and impact. And for him to explore how we might all tap into that mind-set that has no dogma but sees with clarity, all the time, what it is that really matters.

Apr 13 2013:
ROOSEVELT would certainly support the 2nd Amendment, after all he was a huge hunting enthusiast. Many say he was a "PROGRESSIVE," but today he would probably be a LIBERTARIAN. I think even the republican party is far to "PROGRESSIVE," for even him.

Apr 13 2013:
Ben Franklin, he was a true renegade and the iconic Renaissance Man. From science to politics he was an overall well rounded guy. He was also quite the ladies man, definately got it how he lived...

Apr 13 2013:
A truly intelligent man whose wisdom oozed out from all the shouting of the founding fathers and illuminated the way. But he did seem to "cherchez the femmes" when he was in France. I loved his letter to a young man about the advantages of marrying an older woman. He had an excellent sense of humor, too!

Apr 12 2013:
I'd ask for a three-way between Galileo, Copernicus, and Thomas S. Kuhn. They could discuss Ted's shocking lack of forward thinking in the recent scandal about Ted coming out against scientists who aren't full of everyday, established talk and therefore must be labeled "pseudoscientists." I must be naive, because I was REALLY surprised to find out about this.

Would you guys let Kuhn (Harvard) talk about paradigm in science belief and history? Would Tim Leary (Harvard) be given 18 minutes to discuss the effects of LSD on the brain? What would you have told Mark Zuckerberg if he'd come of age in 1983 and explained how this wacky thing called a "social network" might take over the whole danged world? I guess you'd have pooh-poohed it.

I'm interested in new, exploratory ideas in addition to some old-hat fun stuff about fascinating subjects. That's why I'm part of the TED community, though I considered quitting after reading about this. I don't think it's up to TED to decide for me whether Rupert Sheldrake and Graham Hancock have interesting views on interesting subjects, views I should consider and further research.

I sincerely hope you will not censor this comment.

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Apr 12 2013:
I want to add that I have no particular skin in the game about whether Rupert Sheldrake and Graham Hancock are right in their views. I do know they have credentials, they provoke discussion, and if TED is supposed to be so fabulous and embracing of a new idea culture, the organization should act like it!

Apr 13 2013:
Its a process, on the one hand TED will not be a respected entity if everything is passable. I always say these are market forces. Its very difficult to take consciousness seriously because we can't even agree on what consciousness is. Everybody claims to be conscious, but wonder what the word really means outside of our...err...consciousness. We could be tiny little ants.

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Apr 13 2013:
One of the first talks I heard on TED back in 2008 was that of Jill Bolte Taylor.http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
And I was hooked on TED!
Because of the Consciousness that Jill Bolte had experienced in her left brain after a stroke. What she experienced was not "Materialistic Science"! Nevertheless till now, for me, it is among the most amazing talks I have heard because of the nature of consciousness... So when Graham Hancock's and Rupert Sheldrake's talks were removed from TEDx I considered quitting... I totally agree with Tiffany Lee Brown.

Apr 13 2013:
There are a lot of people who entertain the illusion that they have their fingers on the button. Control freaks :) The ideas worth spreading are spreading and whether TED likes it or not, it is also in the business of spreading 'pseudoscientific ' ( the most advanced ) ideas sometimes.
There are some talks worth listening :)

Apr 12 2013:
I would like to hear John Stuart Mill giving a TED talk on the dead dogma of freedom. Although he is one of the main supporters of individual freedom that history has seen, he also argues in "On Liberty" that no principle should become a dead dogma. It seems to me that "freedom" itself has become a dead dogma and I would like to hear what he thinks about it. Something similar to a response to Barry Schwartz's "the paradox of choice" TED talk.

Apr 10 2013:
ben franklin. got wealthy thanks to his printing business, realised he had more than enough income to live very comfortably and retired rather than going after more and more money. he decided to spend his time and money instead on scientific pursuits, the developments from which he deliberately chose not to patent, so that all citizens could enjoy improvement in their standard of living rather than holding it hostage for cash. capitalism but with an upper limit on wealth, pushing forward science and benefits to everybody - now that is an idea worth spreading!

Apr 12 2013:
most? you've come up with 3, do tell me how 3 people among the richest 100,000 people leads to the conclusion that most capitalists are like franklin? and even among those 3 they've continued to work until well past becoming super rich, and have patented their work.

not only do most of the rich not quit when they have enough and give back to the citizens to which their success depended on, they usually don't even pay the minimum amount that they are legally obliged to pay as their fair share. $100bn in taxes are avoided in america alone by the super rich who hide their funds in offshore bank accounts.

i encourage everyone to engage in the debate, but please do some basic fact-checking before chiming in with such codswallop; support your statements with evidence or provide sources to where this evidence can be found.

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Apr 14 2013:
My ideal lecturer would be George Orwell, the time of the lecture either just before WWII, or 2013. Orwell's was an uncompromising and sharp brain, with an ability to SEE the big picture, and to put his visions into words.

Apr 13 2013:
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte - because he was misunderstood even while he lived, and certainly after he died, and because his vision for a unified Europe brought together under a common market, common legal and government system and common monetary system was not only bold, but also far ahead of its time. A TED Talk would not only allow him to clear his name for the record of history, but to also inspire others to aspire to higher ideals and not settle for what was easy, even if you disagreed with his methods and believe him to be a tyrannical figure.

Apr 13 2013:
Marcus Mosiah Garvey - Jamaican (inspirational speaker, Social Activist, Universal Negro Improvement Association
in the cause of African redemption, philosopher, educator, founder of Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League).
He was an outspoken leader, dedicated to promoting African-Americans and resettlement in Africa. He was self educated and made a mark in the history books as a believer in dominant black nationalism.
A talk today would include Self pride, pride in one's race as we try to uplift black youths from the negative self impressions and idealisms created by 'others'.

Apr 13 2013:
Jayavarman VII, King of Cambodia, who ruled Cambodia right around the 9th-11th century (I am not exactly sure). We need help right now, oh, King. We are drowning in greeds, corruption and lawlessness. Our primitive instinct is hacking us apart, rich from poor, Lexus from cyclo. The genocide of the Khmer Rouge is not over yet. Help us, just king.

Apr 13 2013:
The Rev Doctor Sun Myung Moon who just left this life on Earth. Humanity was so busy condemning him that they missed his message. What a mistake! Individual insecurities and fears prevented hearing him speak about God our Father. Biggest mistake mankind has made NOT to of saw and heard him speak in person. He tried, he flew the world many times going to every corner of civilization. Rejection as every other man of God experienced since the beginning of human history is what he received - I wish God would give mankind one more chance to hear the Rev Doctor Sun Myung Moon speak.

Apr 12 2013:
@Tiffany: Well, they weren't scientific because the method didn't come until Galileo. They were game changers and all three had a common goal, to introduce rationality in place of ritualistic practice. Jesus was trying to teach sense. The 613 commandments of the Jewish People can be a little bit too much when really its just the 7 laws of Noah in detail. What Jesus did was condense it even more to one teaching which is, you and I are no different so treat me as you want to be treated. It is humanitarian. And he taught this to like everyday folk, people who need to hear it, not the TED people of their time, the intellectual rabbis who are studied and learned.

Moses took the magical letters from the egyptian tradition available only to priests and royalty, and made it available to the workers. The Alef-Bet is math, but not only math, it holds the progression of concepts from energy into matter. You will see what they mean if you study the alphabet. A for ox-power, B for house, G for path etc, etc. It was pretty advanced. He said that all those powers that the egyptians were breaking down as separate powers is ONE power.

Buddha is the first atheist, let me just say that. Maybe humanist, not atheist. Most atheists have (knock knock, disclaimer...i do know this is a generalisation) parent availability issues and therefore cannot rely on a "saviour" or "a higher power" and believe that they're on their own.
But people get ideas and hold tack them into fixed points and then check back on it constantly because they don't dare deviate from it or make it meaningful for them. Then it becomes dogma, then it returns to what it struggled against. Science is a method. It's not a god. What you find out in science moves, changes everyday. But its essence remains. All knowledge can be found and lost and regained but with better understanding. This is a human habit. We keep on forgetting what we know and then when we remember it, we think its new

Intelligence (Science) is a great tool
A knife is a great tool developed by science
Unfortunately a knife in the hands of a cruel intelligent...
The world is paved with intelligent people...
Few "choose" compassion and give the quantum leap to wisdom

Intelligence (Science) is therefore a great path (choice) towards consciousness
unfortunately...
Intelligence (Science) is also a great path (choice) towards stupidity

Apr 13 2013:
Who is that who chooses ?
The world is governed by the laws of dynamics and chaos. Chaos is the order of infinite complexity. I don't think that anybody is in control ; the time has come for science to embrace the idea of 'spirit' , which is consciousness and compassion, awareness if you will.
Just thoughts :)

Apr 11 2013:
Actually, if I was allowed a second opinion, after Jesus (or Abraham or Mohamed) and their honest opinion on various matters, I would invite the 'original Buddha' and question him about certain things. And what he thought about consumerism and capitalism. (and whether he thought that it was human nature to just compete.)
Always get to the original source eh?
:D
Or maybe just get all of them into one room, and make them debate (on a TED conversation!). And just watch that for 20 minutes. Be good enough for me.

Apr 10 2013:
I don't want to be rude but he asked about historical figure. If you'de like a TED talk from a historic religen figure there are many figures that have some or complete evidance of existence, like Joshua son of Miriam (Jesus as a peace loving person), Siddahartha (Buddah) Joseph Smith, L. Ron Howard and so on.

Apr 10 2013:
I did consider others but they had already been taken so I went with the first thing that came to mind when reading the question. I'll be more careful not to express my thoughts next time so as not to offend you.

Apr 10 2013:
I'm not offended, and I'm sorry to make you fill not at ease, but I was just baffled by the choice, because mostly even religious people don't offer a direct speak of god or count him/her/it as a historic figure.

Once again, sorry, truely. The more an opinion is diffrent, the more it is importent to express.

Apr 9 2013:
Brilliant question.
Probably "Jesus", If I am allowed to say that. (I mean he was a very influential historical figure, whether or not he came back from the dead!)
Get to know what his honest views were on certain matters.
(And on a similar question, if I could have three people to a diner party to discuss a certain matter, I would invite :
Jesus, Abraham, and Mohammed, and just let them debate who was the right one out of them.) ;P

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Apr 9 2013:
ISAAC NEWTON, hands down.
When I think of the achievements of Isaac Newton, I become at a loss of words......
He discovered the laws of optics
He discovered the laws of motion
He discovered the Universal law of gravitation
He discovered - integral differential calculus
He did all this before he turned 26 years of age. I find this beyond extra ordinary..... I find this mind blowing
If he could be here to give a TED talk, I would go to any possible extent to secure a front seat.

Apr 9 2013:
I'd love a panel of Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton, and Franklin. The first three would talk about what they really were thinking when the Constitution was drafted, and Franklin would tell great off-color stories.

After researching a bit about him I got to respect him a lot, and Im glad he is becomign more popular. There is a lot of myth surounding him nowadays.
I got shivers when I saw a picture of him standing in an apartment when he was nearing his life´s end.

Apr 8 2013:
Definitely Theodore Roosevelt. He was a major contributor to the Conservation Movement; he created five national parks and almost two hundred reserves. He also stayed educated in Foreign Policy to maintain good relations with other countries during his time in office and made strides in the ongoing Civil Rights Movement.

Apr 15 2013:
Paul of the New Testament. Not because I am religious, but because I'd like to hear to what degree he carried Roman culture and organizing principles into the Catholic church. It is pretty clear to me, that ancient Rome never vanished, but was recreated into a new form of organization that spread throughout the earth, and I'd like to hear it directly from Paul.

Apr 15 2013:
I would love to hear Abraham Lincoln speak about leadership. Lincoln is the type of leader I love looking into. I believe he would motivate the crowd about standing about for what they believe in. I also believe he would discuss how we as people need to stop giving up so quickly. A lot of people today have lost courage, but Lincoln would find a way to bring that spark back.

Apr 14 2013:
Maria Montessori would be my choice. She had the key for educating children blissfully and successfully. It's amazing to me that her theories are still not being implemented in this country on a wide scale.

Apr 14 2013:
I'd like to hear Abraham Lincoln talk about how he used mathematical principles to organize and structure his rhetoric to maximize his persuasiveness. His speeches were like headlines written by a poet, surgical strikes that I believe propelled him from relative obscurity to the Presidency at a crucial historical moment.

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Apr 14 2013:
Mark,
I saw the insult to your name, and I understand your feelings maybe a little. I don't think you are "censored". It looks like one of your comments was removed, and often, TED removes comments that are connected to the insulting comment. Don't give up:>)

Apr 15 2013:
i wouldn't define ted itself as being that way, though i have noticed the ongoing increase number of quasi-religious commenters who like to declare whatever it is they personally would like to be true as fact. i think there are still some people capable of having an intelligent discussion supported by evidence and logical argument though. i too have had a comment removed because the comment i was replying to was removed.

I think the TED community would be the short-hand way of pointing to intellectual elites. I know what a rabbi means, and they were thought leaders because there was no other education other than religious education. Anything that pertains to phenomena is attributed to God. It was only after the 19th century, when the method was introduced as an "objective" way to concur on what causes a phenomena that the separation between religious thought and intellectual thought happened.

I must say, to say that the brain does not generate the mind is a religious assertion. Not a factual one. But anyone who studies the anatomy, particularly the brain will see that despite its material nature, it is quite a miraculous thing! And yes, this little mass of grey on our heads CAN produce the mind. As a matter of fact, I believe that the body is the larger mind where the unconscious resides. (but that's for another forum).

My point is matter and spirit is only separated by the limits of our senses. In truth they are one and the same, they are stable energy relationships that we codify in our mind as "reality" or the material world. But observed in another way, it really is all energy. The mind and the body are one and I see nothing wrong with the notion that the same mass of grey is a version of the universe, scaled to human size. http://www.ted.com/talks/henry_markram_supercomputing_the_brain_s_secrets.html

My point is, we need scientists to be what they are. It is essential for them to continue to doubt and ask. That is their role. Just as we need the rabbis and priests to provide answers to questions that are unsettling, that is their role, they provide the imaginary number that bridges the equation. Somewhere in between those two forces tugging at each other is the answer, a moving evolving answer... without the two forces tugging and challenging each other, how can both grow?

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Apr 15 2013:
just a couple corrections, they don't deny spirit, they have searched for spirit on many occasions, found evidence of it nowhere, and contrarily have found evidence that 'spirit' isn't a thing at all but something created in the human mind.

also energy does not precede matter, they are one and the same - matter is energy.

Apr 13 2013:
I always found Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord to be a controversial figure. Known more simply as "Tallyrand" he was regarded by some as one of the most versatile, skilled and influential diplomats in European history, though some believe that he was a traitor. But since so many here have named politicians I'll suggest an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor, George Washington Carver. In 1941, Time magazine dubbed Carver a "Black Leonardo."